Google IO

Google I/O 2013 also included some updates in terms of maps. In this case our focus will be on the mobile side, in which these updates will be coming for Android as well as iOS users. The big line here was how they will be going "beyond direction and navigation." Pretty much, new features will be coming to Google Maps for mobile devices.

In case you all missed the crazy news from Google I/O today, Samsung and Google have teamed up and will be offering a GALAXY S 4 "Google Edition". What is that? A completely stock Google device from the folks at Samsung, and it will be as developer friendly as they come. However, in light of the news many are wondering about HTC. Here's what they had to say.

Google Search is an extremely powerful service we all use each and every day. It's safe to say Google knows more about us than we'd like. Today however, Google's calling the new search "the end of search as we know it" as it improves like never before. Google search will now answer, converse, and anticipate. This is the knowledge graph and prediction start-up companies they've been buying all leaking out the seams and arriving for us all. More details below.

We have seen plenty coming out of Google I/O this morning. The announcements have included everything from the Google Edition GALAXY S 4 to Google Play for Education to the "All Access" music service that looks set to take on the likes of Spotify. While we have seen plenty of announcements, it looks like Google has also announced a rather big set of updates for Google+.

Google has confirmed some of the earlier rumors. These rumors were dealing with the unified messaging service that was first tipped as Babel. Coming later in that rumor cycle, we had heard Babel was going to be launching as Hangouts. Well, Hangouts have been officially unveiled and as part of the announcement, Google played off the bit about how their own services have been "fragmented and confused at times."

Google has announced Google Play for Education, which is said to have been "built from the ground up to meet the unique needs of educators." Basically, this sounds like Google is making an effort to bring more technology into the classrooms. The keynote mentioned that teachers feel there is a gap between what is possible in technology and what is practical.

Google's IO keynote today, the one and only one this year, has been packed full of news that we can hardly keep up. In the usual Google fashion we've just learned about the first of probably many freebies. Google will be giving each and every developer at Google I/O their very own ChromeBook Pixel.

Some last minute rumors surfaced late yesterday afternoon and it looks like they have since been proven accurate. The rumor was dealing with a GALAXY S 4 running vanilla Android, and well, that handset has just been announced. The device is dubbed the Samsung GALAXY S 4 Google Edition and it will be available beginning next month.

Coming out of Google I/O 2013, we are seeing an update to the Google+ Sign-In API. This update brings one notable improvement which is cross platform single sign-in. This will work in conjunction with the over-the-air app installs and simply adds another level of convenience for the user.

Google is on a roll at the moment, although so far we've been hearing all about backend services. So far they've touched base on the Play Store, Google Maps, location services getting a major overhaul, Google Games and more. And we haven't even got to the newest Android 4.3 or 5.0 yet. However, they just announced some awesome options for developers.